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A visit to Big Oak Tree State Park is a visit to Missouri as the first explorers saw it. Towering hickory trees and oaks form a canopy that averages more than 120 feet in height. The soaring trees and marshy terrain transports visitors back to when southeast Missouri was dubbed “Swampeast Missouri.” The trees and wetlands make the park a prime place for wildlife as well as picnic sites and shelters. These are shaded by trees that have seen centuries of history. A self-guided boardwalk trail, as well as, an interpretive center tell the story of this rich landscape.
EXPLORERS
Early explorers to the “Bootheel” region of southeast Missouri discovered a unique landscape where the Ozark hills dropped off abruptly into flat flood plains covered with giant trees. The forest trees that took root here grew to enormous proportions in the fertile earth. Today, nature-seekers to “swampeast” Missouri will find a forested island, known as Big Oak Tree State Park, in the midst of a vast agricultural area. The park features the state park system’s only cypress swamp.
SAVING THE TREES
In the 1930s, citizens of southeast Missouri began to realize that their magnificent lowland forests were about to disappear forever. A campaign to save a large oak tree and 80 acres surrounding it attracted statewide attention. In response, Gov. Lloyd Stark asked the Mississippi Valley Hardwood Co. to spare the tree and surrounding land.
Due to the Great Depression, the state, however, could not afford to purchase the land. Despite the depression, businessmen and local citizens began donating money while area school children gave their nickels and dimes. In 1938, about 1,007 acres were purchased and dedicated as Big Oak Tree State Park.
THE BIG OAK TREE
The big oak tree that the citizens fought to save was located in an 80-acre tract of virgin bottomland hardwood forest, which is now designated as a National Natural Landmark. It stood its ground there for nearly 400 years before dying in 1952 and was cut down. Today, trees in the park are unsurpassed in the state for their size, with a canopy averaging 120 feet and with several trees more than 130 feet tall. Two trees qualify as state champions in their species. Ninety percent of the park is designated as a Missouri natural area because of its rarity and value in preserving this significant representation of Missouri’s natural heritage.
A boardwalk winds its way through the park past some of the park’s largest trees. A walk on the boardwalk also gives visitors a chance to view many common mammals. Deer and raccoons, as well as, squirrels and opossums call the park home, along with the rare swamp rabbit. Amid the lofty trees live more than 150 species of birds, giving the park a national reputation among bird watchers. Several of the birds are considered rare in the state, including the prothonotory warbler and cerulean warbler, as well as, the red-shouldered hawk. The Mississippi kite and fish crow can also be seen in the park.
An interpretive center along the boardwalk explains the forest and swamp ecosystem in the park. Picnic sites and a playground nestled under towering trees make the park a great place for a family to spend the day.
PARK HOURS & FEES
Contact Park
PARK PHONE
573-649-3149
East Prairie, MO 63845-8768
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